n  'j^ 


r/^ 


;i^ 


fflPHP^ 


^^W 


m^^ 


^^^ 


•'^ 


?:^' 


?i.:€^' 


■I  ^>v^ 


%  v^aAi^ 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


PARISH  CHURCHES 


^ 


ENGLAND 


MONOGRAPH 
5ERIES 

ON  SUBJECTS 

PERTAINING 

TO  ARCHITEC 

TURE  &  ALLI 

ED  INTERESTS 


PUBLISHED  BY  ROGERS  AND  MAN50N  COMPANY 

BOSTON  .4^^^  NEW  YORK 


PARISH  CHURCHES  OF  ENGLAND 


COPYRIGHT.  1915 

B^    ROGERS  AND  MANSON  COMPANY 

BOSTON.  MASS. 


'5 


PARISH  CHURCHES 
OF  ENGLAND 


Illustrated  from  a  se- 
lection of  photographs 
specially  taken  by 
Thomas  JV,  Sears  for 
Harvard  University. 
Introductory  text  by 
C.    Howard   M^alker 


PUBLISHED  BY  ROGERS  AND  MANSON  COMPANY 

BOSTON   AND   NEW  YORK 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION C.   HOWARD  WALKER 

ILLUSTRATIONS  plate 

BRAMSCOMBE  CHURCH,  DEXONSHHiE 1 

BADCEWORTH  CHURCH,  GLOUCESTERSHIRE 2 

LEDBURY  CHURCH,  HEREFORDSHIRE 3 

ABBEY  DORE  CHURCH,  HEREFORDSHIRE  4 

HERNE  CHURCH,  KENT 5 

ST.  LAWRENCE  CHURCH,  KENT 6,  7 

DONINGTON  CHURCH,  LINCOLNSHIRE 8 

HOWELL  CHURCH,  LINCOLNSHIRE 9 

BRAMPTON  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 10 

ALDWINCLE  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 11 

RAUNDS  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 12 

BRIXWORTH  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 13 

BARNACK  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 14 

KETTERING  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 15 

CRANSLEY  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 16 

WILBY  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 17,  18 

ACHURCH  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 19 

NORTH  LUFFENHAM  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.  20 

BURFORD  CHURCH,  OXFORDSHIRE 21 

ISLE  ABBOTS  CHURCH.  SOMERSETSHIRE 22 

SHERE  CHURCH,  SURREY 23 

PULBOROUGH  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 24 

BUXTED  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 25 

OLD  SHOREHAM  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 26 

NEW  SHOREHAM  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 27 

FRAMFIELO  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 28,  29 

CL-^'MPING  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 30 

BAGINTON  CHURCH,  WARWICKSHIRE .31 

BREDON  CHURCH,  WORCESTERSHIRE 32 


PARISH  CHURCHES  OF  ENGLAND 

By  C.  Howard  Walker 


11  IK   CHARM   OF  THE    ENGLISH    PARISH 

cliurchcs  is  due  essentially  to  the  variety  and 
niuhiplicity  of  their  forms,  to  an  eclectic  use  of 
materials,  and  a  more  or  less  happy  association  of 
variations  of  a  style  of  architecture  frankl\-  expres- 
sive of  the  different  periods  of  the  various  portions 
of  the  buildings,  but  always  possessing  the  common 
factors  of  pitched  roofs,  buttresses,  arched  and 
traccncd  cjpciiings,  and  towers  with  or  without  spires.  Each  and  all 
of  these  factors  are  unnecessar}-  from  either  a  traditional  or  a  utili- 
tarian point  of  view  in  every  other  type  of  modern  building,  and 
therefore  it  must  cither  dominate  its  surroundings,  as  do  the  great 
cathedrals,  or  be  isolated  in  a  considerable  domain  as  are  cemeter}' 
chapels,  or  be  amongst  small,  low  and  comparatively  isolated 
buildings  such  as  occur  in  small  towns  and  villages.  The  English 
parish  church  was,  as  its  name  implies,  the  centre  of  religious  activity 
in  the  parishes  far  enough  removed  from  the  great  cathedrals  and 
abbeys  to  require  local  places  of  worship,  and  their  type  is  admirabh' 
adapted  for  similar  locations  today.  But  there  are  other  elements 
which  are  peculiar  to  these  churches.  They  are  the  direct  product 
of  the  localities  in  which  the}-  occur,  built  of  the  material  at  hand, 
whether  it  be  brick  or  rubble  or  flint  or  stone,  put  together  b)-  the 
local  mason  to  the  extent  of  his  skill;  which  skill  diiTered  greath'  in 
various  places  and  at  various  times;  and  added  to  at  will.  Thus, 
in  one  building  many  materials  and  styles  of  work  appear,  frankh" 
added  or  interpolated  as  occasion  required,  with  a  direct  simplicity 
of  treatment,  without  attempt  at  disguise,  which  lends  a  special 
charm  to  the  result. 

They  are  never  formal,  or  mannered,  but  are  spontaneous  and 
courageous  in  expression.  Cell  is  added  to  cell,  openings  are  made 
in  walls,  but  tresses  are  supplemented  or  removed  to  suit  the  im- 
mediate requirements.  'I'hey  ha\e  grown  and  developed  as  healthy 
organisms,  not  as  aif'ectations.  There  is  scarce!}-  one  of  them  that 
docs  not  show  the  acti\il}  and  increase  of  religious  functions  from 
the  time  of  the  Normans  until  the  devastatim:  touch  of  Hcnr\-  VW] 


checked  their  growth.  Norman,  Transitional,  Early  English,  Dec- 
orated, Perpendicular, — each  and  all  of  these  styles  have  left  their 
traces  upon  them,  so  intimateh-  intermingled  that  the  local  verger 
toda}'  gives  bewildering  and  not  always  enlightening  information  to 
the  tourist,  and  the  vicars  and  curates  wrangle  over  the  exact  date  of 
a  capital  or  of  a  moulding  as  evidenced  by  the  stone  cutting  or  its 
position  in  the  wall. 

It  is  interesting  to  follow  the  testimony  of  the  buildings  them- 
selves, regardless  of  the  intricate  fabric  of  history  and  tradition 
woven  about  them  by  the  local  chroniclers.  The  battle  of  Hastings 
was  in  1066.  Before  this  time  whatever  chapels  were  built  by  the 
Saxons  are  of  a  crude  description, — mere  cells  with  pitched  roofs, 
walls  of  rubble,  flint  and  brick  indiscriminately  used, — but  the  square 
Saxon  tower  was  existent,  as  was  also  the  round  tower  of  the  Celt. 
With  the  coming  of  the  monks  to  Durham,  with  the  founding  of 
Norman  abbeys,  the  small  churches  in  the  outskirts  of  the  See  began 
to  multiply  and  in  certain  factors  to  imitate  neighboring  cathedrals. 

The  square  apse,  the  tower  at  the  crossing  of  the  transept  and 
nave  and  great  length  in  comparison  to  width  are  characteristic  of 
English  cathedrals.  The  small  churches  also  show  imitative  qual- 
ities. Saxon  square  towers  were  at  times  incorporated  into  the 
building,  in  fact  made  the  nucleus  of  it,  as  occurs  in  some  of  the 
churches  near  Hitchin  Herts. 

The  Norman  round  arched  style,  imported  into  England  by  the 
monks,  lasted  approximate!}-  until  1140,  from  which  time  to  1200  the 
pointed  arch  is  being  substituted  for  the  round  arch,  the  openings 
appear  more  and  more  in  groups,  and  the  so-called  Transitional  style 
occurs,  llie  century  between  1200  and  1300  is  usually  classified  as 
that  of  the  Early  English  style,  while  the  succeeding  14th  centurj^ 
work  is  called  the  Decorated,  and  that  from  1400  to  1550,  the  Per- 
pendicular style.  Naturally  the  styles  fuse.  It  is  difficult  to  de- 
termine at  times  whether  work  is  Transitional  or  Early  English,  but 
the  Decorated  style  is  quite  well  defined  b}^  the  character  of  the 
traceries  in  the  windows,  and  the  Perpendicular  by  the  fact  that  the 
shape  of  its  decorative  subdivisions  are  long  vertical  rectangles. 
Obviously  there  are  other  indications,  especially  in  plans  and  in 
mouldings  and  in  carving. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Sussex  towers  are  in  most  cases  Nor- 
man, which  is  natural,  as  Sussex  was  one  of  shires  first  dominated 
by  the  Normans.  In  Northamptonshire  the  towers  terminated  in 
broached  spires  which  in  most  cases  are  of  the  Transitional  period, 
or  of  the  early  part  of  the  Early  English  period.     These  are  direct 


importations  from  Xormandy,  in  several  cases  being  built  upon 
octagonal  drums  which  are  placed  between  the  square  tower  and  the 
spire.  The  spires  were  originally  all  broached  spires,  i.e. — built 
directly  on  the  walls  below,  without  intervening  parapets.  Later 
Decorated  parapets  have  been  built  at  the  base  of  a  number  of 
these  spires.  Of  the  examples  given,  one  only,  that  of  Barnack 
Church,  Northamptonshire,  has  an  untouched  Norman  tower  and 
spire.  Most  of  the  spires  illustrated  are  in  Northamptonshire,  which 
shire  was  not  controlled  fully  by  Norman  ecclesiastics  until  con- 
siderably later  than  was  Sussex. 

Square  towers  without  spires  are  built  in  the  Decorated  period 
usually  with  corner  buttresses  and  with  parapets.  Two  examples 
are  given, — Badgeworth  Church,  Gloucestershire,  and  Brampton 
Church,  Northamptonshire. 

A  marked  peculiaritj-  of  English  parish  church  plans  is  that 
of  the  roofing  of  naves  and  aisles.  In  many  cases  the  original  church 
had  a  nave  onh'  and  aisles  were  added,  on  one  side  of  the  nave  or  on 
both,  with  independent  pitched  roofs,  so  that  the  east  elevation  of  the 
church  appears  with  two  or  three  gables  often  of  dift'erent  sizes, 
heights  and  pitches.  The  result  is  picturesque  and  charming,  but 
absolutely  impracticable  in  a  region  of  snow,  which  would  pack 
between  the  roofs. 

Up  to  the  14th  century,  the  tradition  of  the  narrow  window 
openings,  which  occurred  in  ecclesiastical  buildings  before  the  devel- 
opment of  the  leaded  glass  which  shut  out  draughts  at  the  same  time 
it  permitted  the  entrance  of  light,  was  maintained  in  the  English  work. 
The  possibility  of  the  almost  absolute  elimination  of  the  wall  between 
piers  was  not  appreciated  b}'  the  English,  who  were  persistent  in  their 
retention  of  narrow  openings.  The  utmost  they  did  until  the  14th 
century  was  to  group  these  openings  in  long  lancet  windows.  The 
glass  with  which  they  filled  the  openings  was  therefore  kept  light  and 
did  not  develop  the  rich  color  of  the  French  glass,  such  as  that  at 
Chartres.  The  English  cathedrals  and  churches  had  no  light  to 
lose,  and  also  the  skies  were  grayer  than  those  farther  south.  As  a 
natural  result  English  glass  was  silvery  and  while  in  character,  as  is 
apparent  in  the  Five  Sisters  at  York,  but  as  the  practicabilit}-  of 
glazed  openings  seeped  into  the  English  mind,  a  demand  arose  for 
more  light  in  the  churches,  which  demand  was  at  once  satisfied  by 
the  increased  size  of  the  windows  in  the  Decorated  style  and  by  the 
introduction  of  delicate  mullions  and  tracery.  These  windows  are  at 
once  inserted  in  the  parish  churches  replacing  the  smaller  earlier 
openings.     They  occur  first  at  the  west  ends,  to  light  the  naves,  over 


the  entrance  door,  which  is  usualh-  small  for  a  small  congregation, 
and  in  the  illustrations  there  is  scarcely  one  in  which  the  Decorated 
and  Perpendicular  windows  do  not  appear.  The  Chancels  have  their 
windows  changed  less  frequenth-,  but  the  aisle  walls  are  perforated 
with  them.  This  absolute  frankness  and  catholicity  of  expression 
is  manifest  everywhere.  It  is  this  that  gives  the  English  church 
much  of  its  charm,  all  the  forms  and  types  used  are  structurally 
suited  to  the  materials  used,  and  have  been  studied  for  their  pro- 
portions as  well  as  for  their  purposes,  and  have  the  intrinsic  quality 
of  good  taste. 

A  survey  of  these  views  of  English  parish  churches  convinces 
one  of  their  sincerity,  of  their  flexibilit\-  of  treatment,  and  their 
catholicity  of  spirit,  all  of  which  qualities  are  exactly  those  which 
are  needed  in  the  small  churches  of  toda}-. 

In  Kent  and  in  Essex,  where  stone  cjuarries  are  infrequent,  the 
local  stone  is  made  into  rubble  in  the  walls,  unostentatiously,  not 
flaunting  its  poor  quality  by  exaggeration,  as  is  the  case  in  the  majority 
of  American  cobble-faced  walls,  but  brought  to  a  surface  bj-  the  mortar 
in  its  joints  so  that  there  is  apparent  more  mortar  than  stone.  If  there 
came  a  lack  of  stone,  brick  was  substituted,  or  so  intermixed  with  the 
stone  that  it  made  an  interesting  texture.  If  a  nave  had  become  too 
small,  a  transept  or  an  aisle  was  added  in  the  style  of  the  time.  If 
the  church  were  too  dark  new  light  openings  were  made,  or  old  ones 
enlarged.  The  whole  building  has  an  intimate  affectionate  quality, — 
it  is  human  in  its  whims  and  fancies;  it  is  versatile  in  its  expression. 
But  a  structure  of  this  kind  must  at  first  have  been  firm  boned  and 
well  developed  to  be  able  to  submit  to  such  vicissitude  without  actual 
and  visual  ruin, — and  firm  boned,  strong  walled,  simple  these  English 
churches  are.  In  using  them  as  an  inspiration,  it  is  their  spirit 
which  is  of  value,  the  suggestions  of  expression  of  their  uses  which 
are  stimulating.  The  conditions  under  which  they  have  been  built 
are  in  many  respects  not  unlike  those  of  toda}'.  A  demand  for  a  house 
of  worship  in  a  small  community  which  shall  express  the  tradition 
of  the  religion,  the  capabilities  of  the  local  people  to  appreciate  and 
to  create  not  only  a  work  of  utility  but  a  work  of  art,  the  will  to 
perform  with  what  is  at  hand  and  according  to  their  means,  and  the 
desire  to  do  all  this  in  the  best  way  it  can  be  done.  Here  are  points 
in  common  between  the  past  and  the  present.  In  meeting  them  the 
E'.nglish  parishes  erected  a  number  of  buildings  which  for  individual 
character  and  charm  have  not  been  excelled  and  which  can  well  be 
used  as  a  standard  for  our  endeavors. 


PARISH   CHURCHE5   OF   ENGLAND 


"1 


IM  ATE  ONE 


BRAMSCOMBI-  CHURCH,  DEVONSHIRE 


PARI. S  II   CHURCHES   OF   ENGLAND 


PLATE  TWO 


V 


BADGEWORTH  CHURCH,  GLOUCESTERSHIRE 


o 

z 

O 

X. 

u 

X 
U 

< 


lU 

tO 
Q 

O 

LL. 
UJ 

IX 

uJ 
X 

x" 
u 

X 

u 

>- 

CQ 
uJ 


"'*>a 


lij 

uJ 

I 

uJ 
I- 
<■ 
_l 


< 

o 

z 

uJ 

u_ 
O 

<r) 

tU 
X 

u 

X 

u 

X 
CO 

< 


uJ 

X 
Q 

o 

uJ 

uJ 

X 


X 

u 

a 
O 

Q 

>- 

uJ 
CQ 
CQ 
< 


0 


Q 
Z 

< 

-1 

O 
z 

uJ 

O 

u 

X 
U 

X 

< 


x' 
u 

Qi 
Z) 
X 

u 
z 

uJ 
X 


uJ 
> 


H 
< 

a. 


Q 
Z 

< 

O 

z 

O 

UJ 

X 
U 
Q:: 

X 

u 

X 
< 


Z 
uJ 

x' 
u 

D 
X 
U 

lU 
U 
Z 

uJ 

< 

-J 

H 


Id 
H 
< 


a 
z 
< 

-J 
o 
z 

o. 
O 

<r} 
uJ 
I 
U 
Qi 

X 

u 

X 
</^ 

< 

a. 


H 
Z 

UJ 

I 
U 

D 
X 
U 

uJ 
U 
Z 

aJ 

a: 

< 

-J 

H 


> 


1- 
< 

c 


PARISH   CHURCHES   OF   ENGLAND 


PLATK   EIGHT 


DONINGTON  CHURCH,  LINCOLNSHIRE 


^ 


a 
z 

< 

-1 

o 
z 

u. 
O 

UJ 

u 

D 
I 
U 

X 
to 

< 

a. 


X 

to 
z 

_J 

O 
U 


u 

X 
u 


O 

X 


PARISH      CHURCHES      O  \       li  N  G  L  A  N  D 


PLATE  TF.N 


BRAMPTON  CHURCH.  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


a 
z 

< 

O 

z 

a. 
O 

<r) 

uJ 
X 
U 

Qi 
!D 

X 

u 

X 
CO 


< 


r 
lo 
z 

O 

1— 

Cl 

< 

X 

1— 

Oi 

O 
z 

X 

u 

X 

u 

-J 

u 
z 

_1 
< 


> 

_1 


< 

0. 


PARISH      CHURCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


PLATh  TWEl.VL 


RAUNDS  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


F'ARKSH      CHURCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


m  i^ 


PI  AIK    IHlklhhN 


BRIXWORIM  CHURCH.  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


PARI.SH   CHLRCHES   OF   ENGLAND 


PLATE  FOURTEEN 


BARNACK  CllUr^CH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


P  A  R  I  .S  H      C  H  L'  R  C  H  h.  S      OF      ENGLAND 


■^^i 


J 


j  "^T^i 


.^ 


PLATE  FIFTEEN 


KETTERING  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


PARISH      CHURCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


PI. ATE   srXTF.RN 


CRANSLEY  CHURCH,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


P  /\  R  1  S  H      C  H  L'  R  C  H  E  S      OF      ENGLAND 


WILBY  CHURCH.  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


< 

o 

z 

u. 
O 

lU 
X 

u 

D 
X 

u 

I 
to 

< 

a. 


z 

uJ 

I- 
X 

o 

uJ 


X 
t/0 

z 

O 

< 

X 

i- 
O 


X 

u 

Qi 

X 
U 

> 
CQ 


PARISH      CHURCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


IM    Ml     NlNhTF.f.N 


ACHURCH  CHURCH.  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 


c 
z 
< 

c 

z 

a, 
O 

u 
u 

X 
(D 

< 

a. 


rr 

I 

! 

T 

^     'i 

; 

. » 

i 

« 

z 

If 

LU 

(- 


UJ 

X 

z 
O 


< 

X 

H- 

O 

z 

X 

u 

X 

u 


< 

X 

z 

uJ 


O 
z 


PARISH      CHURCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


PLATE  TWtNTV-ONE 


BUREOkU  CHURCH.  OXIORDSHIRE 


PARISH      C  H  I    R  C  H  E  5      OF      ENGLAND 


I'l   Ml     IWINTY-iWO 


ISLE  ABBOTS  CHURCH,  SOMERSETSHIRE 


PARISH      CHL'RCHES      OF      ENGLAND 


PLATE  TWP.N  I  Y-THREE 


SHERE  CHURCH,  SURREY 


< 

o 
z 

uJ 

u- 
O 

<r) 
oJ 
X 

U 

X 

u 

X 

< 
Cl 


i 


s  ■ 


^ 


% 


^    8 


y. 

S      - 


a. 


X 

uJ 

lO 

x' 
u 

X 

u 

X 

o 
o 

o 


Q 
Z 
< 

o 

z 

uJ 

a. 
O 

<r] 
uJ 
X 
U 
Qi 
iD 
X 

u 

X 
</^ 

< 

Cl 


> 

in 


I- 
< 


X 

UJ 

t/0 
c/0 

Z) 

x' 
u 

Z) 
X 

u 

d 
f- 

X 


z 

< 

O 
z 


■J~i 

uJ 
X 
■J 

X 
U 

X 

< 


X 

lU 
t/) 
I/O 

u 
u 


< 

uJ 

r 


O 


< 


a 

< 
-J 
O 
z 

uJ 

u- 
C 

X 
U 
csi 
!3 
X 
U 

X 

a: 
< 
a. 


r 

S 

h 


uJ 
X 

u 

X 

u 


< 

X 

O 

X 

uJ 
Z 


z 

> 

xl 


Z 

xl 


< 
J 

a. 


Q 
Z 
< 

O 

z 

uJ 

a. 
O 

Uj 

X 

u 
u 

X 
< 


I 
o 


z 

uJ 

I- 


X 

uJ 

u 

X 
U 

Q 

-J 
uJ 


< 

U- 


a 
z 
< 

O 
z 

uJ 

a. 
O 


uJ 

CO 

X 

u 

ID 

X 

u 


uJ 

Li. 

< 

(X 
a. 


uJ 
X 

u 

X 

u 

X 

CD 

< 
CL 


z 


Z 
Hi 


I- 
< 


PARISH   CHURCHES   OF   ENGLAND 


.daisa.<i44;>«^jiik. 


PI.ATF    1 1  Ilk  n 


CLYMPING  CHURCH,  SUSSEX 


z 

< 
-1 
O 
z 

uJ 

u- 

O 

uj 
r 
u 

X 

u 

X 

(/) 

Oi 

< 


uJ 

r 
y 

< 

r 
u 

r 
u 

z 

H 
Z 

O 
< 

CO 


3 


PARISH      CHURCHF.  5      OF      ENGLAND 


tt 


■A^? 


*.^v 


'vV    .A, 


PI  AM     THIKMIWO 


BREDON  CHURCH,  WORCESTERSHIRE 


DATE  DUE 


FEB  < 

3  1972 

FFP  1  -' 

1S7Z7 

GAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  USA. 

Syrocuse,  N.  Y. 
Stockton,  Colif. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  F/ 


D    000  790  119 


'Y-, 


^''%^1^.>; 


.% 


m 


«\k^: 


■:.r4*^^\« 


**«k.^.':^.- 


